The F-35 stealth fighter jet is capable of carrying the B61-12 gravity nuclear bomb. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
JAKARTA – The specifications of the American F-35 stealth fighter jet suddenly caught the world’s attention after this aircraft received certification to carry nuclear bomb gravity B61-12.
With this achievement, the F-35 stealth fighter jet has dual capabilities that can be used in conventional and nuclear warfare.
In the nuclear war scheme, this jet is capable of carrying up to two B61-12 bombs and uses a series of ground detection sensors and data links to target the bombs with more precision than other B61 carrier aircraft.
First Nuclear Stealth Fighter Jet
Although the US Air Force has long operated conventional F-15E and F-16 fighters with the N-wires required to deploy nuclear weapons, the F-35A is the first stealth fighter equipped with this capability.
In contrast to the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet which is oriented towards air-to-air combat, the F-35A was designed from the start to take over the tactical nuclear strike capabilities of the F-16 fighter jet it will replace. Implementation of this capability, with the cables and data links required to use the B61-12 gravity nuclear bomb’s advanced features, required an extensive upgrade program known as Block 4.
“The granting of this certification indicates that the development and testing of the B61-12’s capabilities has been completed and is considered satisfactory after more than 10 years of hard work,” said F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) spokesman Russ Goemaere as reported by Popular Mechanism, Friday (15/ 3/2024).
The US Air Force says the F-35’s nuclear capability is not contingent on receiving the full Block 4 upgrade package. This certification will apply to all F-35As. However, the F-35 has not been certified for the older B61-3 or B61-4 non-strategic bombs that are being replaced by the B61-12.
With this capability, the F-35 gives the US Air Force a much more powerful way to deliver its tactical nuclear gravity bombs. The F-35’s stealth capabilities allow the jet to penetrate enemy airspace with a lower risk of being detected and hit by air defense missiles.
Specifications of the American F-35 stealth fighter jet
Reporting from the US Air Force website, the F-35A is a fifth generation fighter jet that will replace the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II fleets. The F-35A comes with enhanced capabilities to survive in an advanced air threat environment.
The F-35A is an agile, versatile, high-performance, 9G-capable multirole fighter jet that combines stealth, sensor fusion and situational awareness like never before.
